Oprah Winfrey’s ‘The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lack’ Set to Premiere on HBO

Oprah Winfrey’s The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lack finally has an HBO premiere set.The docu-drama, which co-stars Rose Byrne, tells the story about an African American women who’s cells were used to create the first immortal human cell line.

According to a press release from HBO the story is “told through the eyes of her daughter, Deborah Lacks (Winfrey), the film chronicles her search, with the help of journalist Rebecca Skloot (Byrne), to learn about the mother she never knew and understand how the unauthorized harvesting of Lacks’ cancerous cells in 1951 led to unprecedented medical breakthroughs, changing countless lives and the face of medicine forever.”

George C. Wolfe, who adapted and directed the film, spoke to Entertainment weekly about his interests in Lacks story. “This woman’s cells helped heal the planet, yet her children were suffering. They didn’t know their mother’s story, even though they were living in the shadows of Johns Hopkins. I found that dichotomy incredibly moving.” Wolfe says, “The book connects the epic with the intimate, and that’s the movie’s ambition.”

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks will debut Saturday, April 22nd at 8 p.m ET on HBO.